3.5 STARS!

The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel is a debut novel seeped in tradition and culture; a hate-to-love romance that will put you through the ringer.

Everyone in the community sees Liya as an easy woman. She's disrespected and gossiped about among the elders. But Liya is strong headed and holds her head up high. She doesn't show how much their blatant dislike hurts her. Liya doesn't really have a good relationship with her father but she loves her mother. She feels like he's always pushing for her to get married and have babies but she doesn't want that right now. She's driven and independent, focused.

“In a world full of people who make assumptions and accusations and judgments? I don’t have a choice.”

Jay lost his father in a horrific accident which he blames himself for. He's a lawyer. A humble man who loves his mother and brother. He's attracted to Liya and though she fights with him every single time he is still very much drawn to her.

One moment I'm loving this story and the next, well, Liya frustrated me with her constant need to bring herself down and irritated me whenever she would accuse Jay of being after one thing only. It got redundant and lowered my rating. Jay had to continuously fight in letting her know he's not like those other men who have wronged her and Liya was still stubborn. She would not believe Jay and it made me want to pull my hair out🤦. I can honestly say in this novel, Liya is her worst enemy and she almost always assumes the worst.

"Despite how much we fought, my body always responded to her. She woke me up. I came to life. My heart beat as if it had never beat before. My pulse sizzled, my veins throbbed, my gut tightened."

Liya's attitude would negatively affect Jay but he never gave up fighting for her. Between the two, they shared many cute moments. Both h/H hold onto dark and hurtful moments from their pasts that make them feel like they're not worthy. Their romance blossomed with time, from constant bickering back and forth to flirtatious banter.

Overall, this book had a bit of a slow beginning; however, the author does sheds light on the sensitive topic of abuse with respect.

What I loved? Well, I loved Mama Shah!!! I loved the beautiful friendship with the girls!! The foods and their description made me want try Indian food pronto #foodie! Also, I would love to see books for other characters in the story, like Preeti!!


*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forever through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

5/5 stars. I freaking loved this book! After a few chapters, I knew I was going to really enjoy it. About 40% through, I knew it was a 5-star read for me. About 60% through, I was telling my BFF she needed to read this amazing book and that it was one of my top books of the year so far.
I loved the tension and the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance between Liya and Jay, and I loved the way that they felt like fully developed real people. Often, I find that I get annoyed with characters like Liya who continually push away a man because of terrible things other men do. With Liya, however, I didn’t feel that at all! I think it helped that right from the beginning we are shown the problems in her relationship with her father.
Jay had me swooning throughout the book! A strong alpha male type of character, he admired Liya for her strength and while he did work to pursue her, he didn’t try to change her mind about marriage (which she was against for many reasons you’ll have to read to find out).
Another thing that I really loved about this book was the culture! As someone to whom this culture is not well known, I thought it was easy to understand all of the family dynamics. The culture shone through in this book in many ways and it was a really interesting way to learn about something new (for me at least).
Overall, you should all pick up this awesome romance, and I’ll be over here waiting for Sajni Patel to write more incredible books!

I read The Trouble with Hating You last week when I felt a slump coming on and it was the perfect slump buster. Liya and Jay have great chemistry, as life suddenly starts throwing them together despite Liya's professed desire to stay single. I loved their close friend circle and Jay's family relationships. This book had all of the fun of a great contemporary romance, and seamlessly mixed in some weightier issues for Jay and Liya to contend with on their path to love. On that note, I cheer each time a book does what this did- have a note at the beginning letting readers know of potential content triggers (specifically for this one, references to sexual assault and trauma).
I gravitate towards contemporary and romance even more during the warm summer months, and this will be at the top of my list of recommendations.

Events from her past have left Liya ostracized from the Indian community in her hometown of Houston, Texas. When her family tries to arrange a marriage between her and Jay, she literally flees, refusing to meet him or his mother. However, when Jay comes to work at Liya's office she soon learns that he isn't as bad as she previously thought and that the two have an undeniable connection.

I thought Liya and Jay were both great characters. While initially, they can't stand one another, they soon come to a place of mutual respect and partnership. Liya has a history of sexual assault, and I thought both Jay and the author handled the subject with care. It was also fun to see the enemies to lovers trope in an Indian context. The Trouble With Hating You is a fun romance, with well-developed characters and great chemistry between the two protagonists

I adored The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel. Big thank you to Forever Publishing for allowing me to read a digital review copy. Everything about this book was refreshing, Liya was the strong female character we all need in our lives and her close group of friends provided nothing but support. The setting for this book was in Houston and Liya comes from an Indian culture so the food descriptions were divine, I wanted to try everything. If you're not already sold on this book just look at the cover, STUNNING and the spine is gorgeous as well. I had to buy a physical copy because I loved it so much and cannot wait for the next installment where we get to hear Preeti's story!

This book starts with Liya bolting from her setup meeting with Jay only for it to turn out that he’s one of the lawyers working to save her company. I love the idea of fate and bad first impressions, however I didn’t love this book. I just couldn’t connect with Liya because she was just so prickly, judgmental and kind of mean. I understand she was forced to grow a thick skin to protect herself because her parents especially her father failed her when she needed them the most but it still doesn’t justify most of her behaviour. That being said, I didn’t hate Liya and Jay as a couple. Their first date was adorable and they worked because Jay was incredibly patient and understanding. The female friendships were also awesome and I loved Liya’s friends. I really hope we get to read the other girls’ stories particularly Sana and Preeti’s stories. Furthermore, I appreciated how Liya did not sacrifice her career ambitions and dreams even though they could take her away from Jay. The Trouble with Hating You is more than just a romance, it’s a glimpse into a South Asian community and shows us examples of the bad aspects like sexual assault and domestic abuse as well as the toxic gossip and shaming culture but also the good aspects like the supportive and open-minded women who looked out for one another and arranged marriages where the couple is happily in love and clearly equal partners.

This is a challenging book to rate with a star system. The writing is solid, the hero was dreamy, and the heroine was a complex amalgamation of old world culture and new American mentality. I liked that she had her own goals financial security, and independence. Their central love story was one of redemption and getting to know one another on a deeper level than the usual insta-lust.
All that said, there was one HUGE issue for me, and I feel it's problematic in ways that reach beyond this story--our genre as a whole needs to do better in this area. The heroine has a back story that deals with sexual assault, shame, and trauma. Unfortunately, that's a situation far too many readers will understand and connect with. My problem is this: the heroine does not address therapy, healthy coping mechanisms, or healing on the page. In the beginning, she was a character perfectly placed to learn to love herself and heal, but that never happened. Well into the relationship with the hero, she's still fighting her feelings because she's 'broken' and 'doesn't deserve a good man like him'. While that is an understandable place to begin, she doesn't...move or grow. He wears her down by being a decent human being. He defends her and genuinely falls for her. But even at the very end, her decision to be with him doesn't come from a place of knowing she is worthy of healthy love, it comes from 'I should have believed that you aren't like other men'.
As a romance reader, I need to believe in their love story. I need to believe that they will last, against all odds.
But as a sexual assault survivor, I don't feel this character did the work to be an emotionally healthy human, much less partner. Healing from trauma does not come from finding The One, and to sell that lie to readers is not only problematic, it perpetuates the myth that somehow a magical relationship with a decent person will 'fix' trauma. This mentality is how women end up in a series of abusive relationships--that continual search for a 'good guy', while holding to the same self-destructive patterns.
I'm glad this hero was a 'good guy'. But her trauma would eventually undermine their relationship if she didn't get help. And getting help is never mentioned.

A strong heroine, charming hero and fiery love story make The Trouble with Hating You an utterly delightful début.

To say that Liya Thakkar has daddy issues is to seriously understate the problem. She and her father are barely civil. He is disgusted that she flauts their traditional Indian culture by dating and living alone. She is disgusted that he demands his wife wait upon him hand and foot. He won’t even get himself a glass of water, insisting that her mom stop whatever she’s doing to get him a drink while he continues sitting on his butt reading the paper. Liya only drops by their home to see her sweet, caring mother, and even that is difficult since more often than not she and her dad wind up bickering. She hates that her “disrespectful” behavior (aka standing up for herself and her mom) has become just one more thing for which her father berates her mother. Still, Liya wants her mother to feel loved and cherished, which is how she finds herself at their latest dinner party, an event which turns out not to be the simple family meal she was promised but a setup with Jay Shah, the man they want her to marry. She refuses to even meet the guy and dashes out the back door, racing towards her car. Unfortunately, she runs straight into Jay’s arms with enough force to knock him over.

Jay never expected to find himself with his potential bride sprawled across him in public. He tries to save the embarrassing moment with a joke but she’s having none of it. Snarkily insulting him for getting in the way, she bails on the dinner, leaving Jau and his mother to make awkward conversation over a very uncomfortable meal. He doesn’t care so much for himself but he can see his mother is ashamed, uncertain how she should handle such an insult. For his part, he’s glad he will never have to see the rude young lady again.

How wrong he is! The very next day he runs into her at the temple rec room when the basketball game he and his friends are playing disturbs the dance practice Liya and her friends are taking part in. He once more tries to smooth things over with some levity and is once more treated to a rude shutdown. He leaves determined to do a better job of avoiding Liya – and hoping that if he does see her again he’ll get a shot at payback.

He does! He’s been hired to help her struggling company through some tricky legal issues and when Liya shows up late to a meeting, he gets his moment for some sweet revenge. Pointing out her tardiness and utter lack of preparedness for the crucial event gives him a warm and fuzzy feeling. He’s not happy that he’s gone from “never having run into her to having to deal with her at mandir and at work” but at least he is finally holding his own in their verbal sparring matches.

Jay’s not the kind of lawyer who enjoys combat, though; he’s much better at negotiation. As he learns why Liya is so volatile around the male of the species, he begins to respect her fire and determination to be respected for who she is. Responding to her barbs with kindness and reason slowly moves the couple towards friendship, but the strong sexual attraction that sizzles between them quickly has them longing for more.

I don’t typically love enemies-to-lovers romances but this one really worked for me. Part of that was the myriad reasons Liya has for being uncivil. Her father’s sexism and the generally abysmal chauvinism of her temple community are part of it but she’s also been the victim of childhood sexual abuse and has had to face the fallout of an unmerited scandal as a result of it. The judgment the Indian society in her area has heaped upon her – mainly in the form of bad-mouthing aunties feeding endless unfounded rumours into the gossip mill – has left her sensitive to criticism, especially anything from or involving the opposite sex. All of that has left her feeling vulnerable and when it comes to choosing between fight or flight, Liya is determined to always choose fight.

I adored that Jay had the patience and maturity to get to know the real Liya and that he saw the importance of connecting with someone who had been so wronged by the people in his community. Once they move beyond the barrier of her prickly attitude, they realise they have a great deal in common. Both love their mothers deeply. Both have wounds from the past which they have carried into the present, making them wary of marriage. They are hardworking, devoting long hours to their jobs and when they relax, they prefer simple, casual activities. They like good food and prefer having a few close friends rather than hanging out in large groups. Their commonalities make it easy for them to be together but their individual strengths mean they each bring something unique to the relationship. Jay is a natural nurturer, while Liya is a born defender and protector. They compliment each other well, which is what I long to see in a romantic pairing.

It’s wonderful that Jay’s family is open hearted when it came to Liya, willing to ignore the fake news that has sullied her reputation. Also great was the author showing us the impact that being rejected by her peers had hs on Liya. She longed for the easy camaraderie that many in her temple community share and is both outraged and distressed that that same joy is denied her due to slander and antiquated attitudes towards a woman’s ‘proper’ behavior.

The romance here is just wonderful. After their first date, Liya says:

This was by far the best date I’d ever had. It was easy. Casual. No pretenses, no trying too hard. We weren’t rigid or trying to put on our best fronts. We were ourselves.

Describing their relationship she tells us:

Every morning he brought a latte with breakfast and we ate in my office before the day started. He pulled me away from a hectic workplace for lunches across the street. When I stayed late, he stayed with me. Sometimes we ate dinner in the lab when my team came up short. Sometimes we ate on the floor of my office, which sounded disgusting, but was quite comfortable and relaxed when I leaned against the wall and ended the night by resting my feet on his lap. He even gave me foot rubs.

Swoon!

The structure of the story worked for me as well. By the fifty percent mark, Jay and Liya have moved to a point where they are genuinely communicating rather than bickering and all conflicts after that are external.

I could go on and on – about the terrific secondary characters, clear, crisp prose, and wonderful HEA – but I will let you discover for yourself why The Trouble with Hating You deserves a place on the keeper shelf of all contemporary romance fans.

Flirty, fun and some great chemistry
Cute and witty banter
Independent badass heroine
Adorable and charming hero
Enemies-to-lovers

It was a fun, entertaining read for sure and I totally enjoyed it.

Liya was this strong female and mostly likable even though she was a bit too difficult and rude at times. It is probably due to her previous experiences and relationships that shaped her that way. The conservative culture exists in Indian families but this was a bit too much for an American family of Indian origin. I loved the way the various dishes were described in this book and it made even a simple dish mouth-watering.

But I felt some Hindi words or Indian practices needed to be introduced first before using them so many times in the book like mandir for instance. I felt the Indian practices could have been described in a better way as I haven't seen such conservative culture in the US at all.

Thanks to @readforeverpub for this free copy!

First of all, props to the author for having her own trigger warning at the beginning of the book! But, TW: for sexual assault (not on page, but discussed and caused the MC stress/anxiety).

This one was a lot of fun! Liya & Jay had some of the best banter. I also loved all the side characters and Jay's family. I CANNOT wait for Preeti's book bc was we saw in this one has me intrigued!!

I did have a bit of trouble getting into this one, but every time I picked it up, I did not want to put it down! I thought the "we want to be together, but SHOULD NOT be" went on a bit longer than I personally like, but like I still got why it had to be like that.

This is a fun and romantic book about a girl and a guy who do not want to date anyone or get married, until they meet each other....

Thank you Forever and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Liya Thakkar has been telling her parents that she does not want to get married and that she has no interest in meeting any prospective husbands. Despite all this, her parents invite her to dinner, and they ambush her with Jay Shah and his mother. Liya decides that she’s not dealing with this, so she slips out the back door, runs straight into Jay, and knocks him over. They exchange some choice words, and they hope to never see each other again. Unfortunately, Jay has just been hired to help save the company Liya works for from a mountain of impending lawsuits, and they’re going to end up seeing a lot of each other.

My favourite thing about this book is that it falls into the enemies-to-lovers category. Liya and Jay despise each other at the beginning of the book. Liya thinks that Jay is cocky and that if he wants to get married, he must want a traditional and obedient wife. Jay thinks Liya is the rudest person on the planet, especially after she snuck out the back door without an apology. The book is full of their banter, arguments, and their constant challenging of each other and I loved it. At times I did get annoyed with their banter because their arguments were repetitive.

I really liked the two main characters in this book. Liya is smart, strong, independent, straight-forward, sharp-tongued, quick-witted, and she has a huge heart. She also has a vulnerable side, and it’s clear that she’s built up walls to protect herself. Jay is smart, kind, caring, and quick-witted. He also has a vulnerable side, and it’s clear that his past is weighing him down. I thought that these characters balanced each other out quite well, and I liked that they were eventually able to lean on and confide in each other.

I also really liked the side characters in this book. I adored Liya’s group of girlfriends, and I loved that they would drop everything to support each other. I liked that they all had their own personality and views, and I loved all the scenes where they were together. I loved Jay’s family, and his mother was my favourite side character because she was so kind, accepting, and strong-willed. I also liked getting a glimpse into the characters’ community, traditions, and beliefs.

I also liked that this book dealt with a few serious topics, including sexual assault, death, and trauma. I think that these storylines were handled well, and I liked that they were included in this book.

Overall, I loved The Trouble with Hating You. It’s classified as a romantic comedy, and it does have its funny moments, but it also has some serious things going on as well. I loved the main characters, and I thought they complemented each other well. If you’re looking for an enemies-to-lovers book to read, I recommend picking this one up.

Enemies-to-lovers is never so entertaining as when you have strong, intelligent protagonists who don’t back down. The Trouble with Hating You is an engaging romance with well-drawn characters who bring the story to life.

Liya is a heroine with a spine of steel and a marshmallow heart – I loved her. She’s prickly when it comes to Jay and is constantly pushing him away. But when you’ve been betrayed in the worst way, sexually assaulted, constantly have gossiping aunties giving you the side-eye, and are practically shunned by your community…well, you have more than enough reason to put up walls. Liya comes from a traditional Hindu community and she’s a black sheep both by choice and because she was once made a victim by those who should have protected her. Nevertheless, she’s a brilliant, hardworking, successful biochemical engineer with a heart of gold. She’ll do anything for those she loves and I absolutely adored watching her with her three best friends, Reema, Sana, and Preeti (who I desperately hope gets a book of her own).

Jay is an equally successful lawyer, one who is tasked with trying to rescue Liya’s company. The two of them don’t hit it off at the start. Liya is ambushed by her parents trying to set her up with Jay and he has no idea why she took off at their first meeting. It isn’t exactly the meet-cute most people dream of. But Jay is made of sterner stuff. He’s a sexy, loving, caring hero who is devoted to his family. He also doesn’t put stock in gossip but gets to know people for themselves and is intrigued rather than afraid of a woman who speaks her mind and doesn’t conform to tradition for tradition’s sake. He’s a perfect match for Liya, but he’ll have to get past her walls first. Mutual attraction helps with that and I adored not only the sizzling chemistry he and Liya had, but the way Jay also stood up for what he wanted, which was not just a meaningless fling. There’s a lot of push-pull in The Trouble with Hating You and that’s normally something I tire of, but in this case it worked. Jay and Liya have to work for their happily ever after and I was rooting for them every step of the way.

Both Liya and Jay come from a more traditional background and author Sajni Patel does a great job of depicting both the positive and negative sides of this. Ms. Patel brought depth to the world she created this way and also with the depth and unique voices she gave her supporting cast (I absolutely adore Jay’s mother). The only downsides to this book for me was a side plotline that could have been fleshed out better or eliminated (Jay’s guilt over the death of his father) and that Liya was a bit too harsh in the beginning (though I love imperfect characters and her words were understandable to a point, I felt she crossed over into mean territory a few times). But overall I thoroughly enjoyed The Trouble with Hating You; it’s a strong debut and I cannot wait to see what Ms. Patel writes next!

I just told Husband that Indian literature might be a new favorite for me. Due to Britain's influence on India, some of my favorite cultural aspects of historical England can also be found in Indian culture. But with a modern setting. Plus the potential for arranged marriages, which utterly fascinates me. The Trouble With Hating You is the second book I've read recently about Indian-American characters that I absolutely loved. (The other being The Marriage Game by Sara Desai--review coming soon.)

Liya is not traditional at all. She is dealing with the after-effects of a sexual assault from when she was 15 years old. The man who assaulted her was highly respected in their community and considered to be very religious. And when she told her parents, her father not only didn't believe her but went so far as to apologize to the man. Liya has used these two events as a foundation for her faith in men...which is essentially non-existent. She's used men and been used by men. She can't see herself falling in love because those who should have protected her abused her. And her father holds her mother under such a tight rope that her example of marriage is a bit skewed. So any attempts at setting her up with someone are met with hostility.

Liya thought Jay was arrogant when they first met. She thought he was going to be the same as the other men in her life. Looking to use her body for sexual gratification and her for a submissive, silent wife. But Jay wasn't like that at all. He initially struggled with the first couple of interactions with Liya. She didn't behave as he expected, but given time and opportunity he began to see her a little more clearly. And he saw the potential in her and felt a connection with her early on. He thus had to fight her attempts at pushing him away and prove he wasn't just trying to sleep with her. And I can always appreciate a man willing to fight for the woman he loves. Jay has his own history to deal with and overcome.

The side characters were all lively with histories and personalities that enriched the story. I loved Liya's group of friends: Reema, Preeti, and Sana. I would truly love this to be the first in a series where we get to see the stories for each of these women. Jay's family: Jahn, Shilpa, and Ma. All of them were so supportive and I loved each one.

I do have to say that the only quotes I really highlighted from the story revolve around whether Liya would pursue a job in a different city or not. Her friends were encouraging her not to let a man hold her back from pursuing a career move that could really benefit her. In Liya's case, she had more reasons to need to move than simply wanting a good job. However, it's become a pet peeve of mine to hear characters encouraged to leave behind people they love in favor of jobs, cities, or colleges that might advance them. What are those things compared to or without people who love you? I think it depends on the strength of the relationship, but we can't put the stigma on every situation that putting our relationships before our careers is a negative or irresponsible decision.

I truly began to feel like an addict while reading The Trouble with Hating You. I was sneaking "hits" of the book any chance I could. If I had to put it down when I wasn't ready or just put it down in general, I felt myself being irritable--like going too long between fixes. Ultimately, I devoured The Trouble with Hating You and I give it 4.5 Stars. Have you read The Trouble with Hating You? What did you think? Let me know!

Don’t be fooled by the adorable cover and think that this is your run of the mill silly rom com because it has waaaayyyy more depth than that. Yes, it has lighthearted and funny moments but it deals with some serious issues like sexual assault in a sensitive and thoughtful manner, it felt like a necessity to the plot and added something valuable.

This was a true enemies to lovers book with a slow burn, Liya and Jay don’t jump into a relationship before they hash out their issues and the maturity on both sides was impressive. Family plays a huge role in their lives and I was so interested in their Indian American culture and how their values and traditions played a part in their love story. If you like strong, independent female characters in a romance you’ll love Liya and Jay is a powerful man in his own right with the perfect amount of charm and sexiness. Adored this one and can’t wait until the next book in the series

I really enjoyed this rom-com. It’s full of well developed characters, cultural drama, a touch of mystery and so much intrigue. I couldn’t wait to find extra moments throughout my day to read just a tad bit more.

This story is told from two perspectives. Liya is a successful woman who is extremely independent, confident, fashionable, outspoken and most definitely not looking for love. The problem is her parents are eager to marry her off and have blindsided her by setting up a dinner meeting with Jay and his mom. What follows is one encounter after another that slowly bring these two together.

I’ll admit, it took a moment for Liya to win me over. She had so much angst that I couldn’t quite connect with her. However, after seeing her with interact with her amazing squad of friends and watching as Jay peeled off the layers of this complex character, my opinion of her quickly changed. Jay won me over instantly. Who doesn’t love a guy who dotes on his extended family, works hard and look sharp in a suit. The chemistry between the two was perfection. Their constant banter, sarcasm and undeniable attraction made so many fabulous scenes.

I appreciate the fact that this was far from a fluffy office romance though. Both characters have some intense past demons who have shaped them into the person they are as adults. They deal with some heavy topics such as sexual assault, verbal abuse, community defamation of character, and severe guilt over a death. Trust me if Liya drives you nuts at the start of the story, you will be ready to stand up and battle for her the instant you find out about her past. The scenes with her dad at the wedding broke my heart. I’ve never wanted to punch a character any faster. Thankfully it’s counteracted by Jay’s extremely supportive family. His mom is the best!!!

Love that I discovered this local Austin author. I spotted that she’s working a a sequel that will be about Preeti and her forbidden true love!!!! I’ll definitely be on the lookout for it.

Favorite quote, “You’re mine. I’m yours. We don’t belong with anyone else. I don’t stand in front of you, or run after you. I walk alongside you.”

The Trouble with Hating You is a hate-to-love romance about two very different characters. Liya is an independent, outspoken, successful biochemical engineer with a bad rep in her community, and Jay is a charming, sweet, family-oriented lawyer who's loved by all.

Liya and Jay have a good ole' fashioned meet-cute...well, really a series of meet-cutes, not that either of them sees it that way. First, her parents plan a meeting with him as a potential marriage candidate without telling her, and she literally runs him down trying to escape. Then, she bumps into him at the mandir - literally. On top of all that, he turns out to be one of the lawyers brought in to help her firm deal with a series of lawsuits, so she's seeing him almost daily at work.

Patel does a great job with their hate to love, providing enough detail and development so that they're both convincingly good people, but also convincingly annoyed with one another. Liya's had to build a wall to protect herself from the judgment of those around her, which makes her quite prickly toward Jay when in his mind his intentions have always been good. The reader sees Liya suffer from microaggressions and outright aggression throughout the book, so her behavior makes sense and feels justified. She isn't just a wishy-washy love interest - she has bad experience after bad experience that have made her how she is. Jay has to work long and hard to gain her trust.

Jay is a much easier character to like right out of the gate. He's not your typical alpha male, despite his outward appearance as such, and he is turned on by Liya's strength, even when her stubbornness and lack of trust frustrates him. He gets overwhelmed by her attitude at times, but with a moment to think, sees Liya's side of things, and deals with her in a surprisingly healthy way. His reactions felt very realistic, rather than a lot of typical blown-out romance novel reactions.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but for some reason, I just can't add it to my favorites shelf. Some of the dialogue felt stilted or strange, and I just didn't connect to either Liya or Jay enough at the end of the day. That's not to say this book isn't worth reading. Patel deals with sexual assault in a great way, providing a character who is struggling with the aftermath of being assaulted, but who hasn't let it shatter her world or her self-confidence. I also loved the insight into modern Indian-American culture. After recently watching Never Have I Ever on Netflix, which also did a great job of representing both traditional and non-traditional Indian culture, it was great to get another peek at it. I look forward to Patel's next book!

Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.

I loved this book! At first you may wonder why Liya seems a bit unlikable but as you get to know her, you find she’s smart, strong and has a big heart. And Jay is everything you want in a male love interest. Lots of great MeToo movement in here, I enjoyed reading about a culture outside my own. The POV from both characters worked really well. I would say if you liked books such as The Friend Zone or The Hating Game you would enjoy this.

This book was so cute! I loved the way Jay and Liya's relationship developed over the course of the story. Liya's friends and the other supporting characters were great and I'd definitely read about their stories too. Overall, it was a really strong debut novel.

What a phenomenal debut! I’m so glad I took my time devouring this book. I’m extremely picky with my romance books, but this one was amazing and deserves all the stars. When I first started this book, I was unsure of how I felt about Liya and her behavior. At first, I was really put off with it and couldn’t stand why she was so rude to the point where she crossed the line on more than one occasion, but as I read on, I further understood why and everything fell into place. My favorite characters were Jay’s mom and Liya’s supportive and strong female friends. I loved how strong, and different each of Liya’s friends were. They were also fiercely loyal and extremely sweet. I loved that Jay’s mom always leveled with Jay and was very respectful as well. My favorite part of the book was the strong ending. I loved that it was realistic but also very sweet. Lastly, I admired that the author was able to delve into heavy topics (sexual assault and death of a loved one) in the storyline in such an eloquent way. I also appreciated that she put a trigger warning in the beginning of her book. I highly recommend picking this one up. Now I can’t wait for Preeti’s story next!

I went into this one very excited. I hate to love is my favorite trope and the cover, synopsis, and author’s note made it appear to be a fluffy rom com.

I wanted to like Liya. She’s determined and stronger than she thinks. Sadly, the traits I’m assuming were supposed to be confident, yet trepidatious with walls firmly up came across as mean and at times, hateful. Jay was a bit stubborn, but he {eventually} works well with Liya. I did love Liya’s group of friends and how supportive they were. Jay also has a lovely family support system.

Plot wise it was more hating than loving and it felt like an opportunity missed. I wanted more scenes with Liya and Jay talking and getting to know each other and while there definitely were those times, the sweetness between them wasn’t enough. I was also fairly irritated at the quick resolution ending. After all of the build up with Liya’s attacker, his comeuppance is just a vague promise.

Overall, I loved the culture and friendship that was represented here; however there was a spark missing that made it difficult for me to root for these two characters.

FYI: non-graphic scenes of sexual assault and molestation, loads of slut shaming and misogyny

**Huge thanks to Forever for providing the arc free of charge**